Etymologies

From French béguin. Compare beguine. (Wiktionary)

Examples

Mr. Carlyle said it was his habit to drink five cups of tea. He ran off into table-talk about tea and coffee, told us that he had found in Lord Russell's 'Memoirs of Moore,' which he called a rubbishy book, the origin of the word biggin; it comes from one Biggin, a tinner, who first made the vessel and was knighted afterwards.

“Not a doit I,” answered poor Wamba — “and for hanging up by the feet, my brain has been topsy-turvy, they say, ever since the biggin was bound first round my head; so turning me upside down may peradventure restore it again.”

Many a time I have put on my spectacles to look at the lassie in church, because she has gentle blue een, wi 'long lashes; and, when she sits in shadow, and is very still and very pale, and is, happen, about to fall asleep wi' the length of the sermon and the heat of the biggin '- she is as like one of Canova's marbles as aught else.'